Within the Shadow
by IceRose84528
Summary: When the ghost of a strange girl visited her on the last day before summer break, Ceres, along with her friends, were tossed unwillingly into a dangerous quest that might either save, or help end, the world as we know it.


Chapter One

The Warning of Shadows

Deep in la-la land on the last day before summer break, I was rudely awakened by a series of piercing screams. Either the girls in my dorm have just seen a bloody ghost, or there was a dead spider dangling from the ceiling.

"What the…" I rolled off the warm duvet bed, immensely annoyed but reaching for my diamond imbedded ring anyways.

The room was dark; a set of thick, blue curtains blocking out any source of light available outside in this unearthly hour. The greenish glow of the alarm clock told me it was only four in the morning. Whoever had the guts to grace MY ears with those stupid screeches had better explain themselves.

My fingers brushed against the smooth surface of a gift from some generous goddess, a shield disguised as an expensive designer ring. Wonder how much I'd get if I sell it….

There was a rapid knocking on the door of my single suite.

Great, seems like everyone's out to ruin my beauty sleep.

"Coming," I grunted, pulling on a frayed hoodie that's hanging limply on the back of a chair.

I stalked to the entry way, yanked off the lock, and flung the mahogany door open.

The corridor in front of me was empty.

Slowly, I took a cautious step out and glanced around, blue eyes alert and darting.

The carpeted hallway was dimly lit by fogged overhead lamps that lined the arched ceiling, creating waves of dappling shadows along the spotless walls. All of the doors that led to the other suites were shut tightly closed, and the only sound to be heard was the ticking of the large circular clock set in the mantel just above the elevator.

**Tick, tock, tick, tock****…****..**

A strange and involuntary shiver ran its way up my spine.

I took a step back.

Then my skin began to crawl as, out of the corners of my eyes, a blurry form suddenly moved within the shadows.

"Oh drat, if this is another attack…" I trailed off; rolling up the sleeves of my blue cotton pajamas (it's a special edition PJ from Camp Half-blood.) to reveal a matching pair of tattoos, shimmering slightly on my forearms.

The thing stirred and rippled as I edged, in battle stance, towards it.

A cloaked figure billowed out, spiraling up and up from the gloom.

I sucked in a breath sharply.

In front of me stood the dim outline of a girl, who was perhaps only a year older than me. Her slim hands pulled the dark hood off her head, revealing her ivory face to the pale light permeating from the lamps that lined the hall.

Her silver hair was tied in an elegant braid down her back, rolling all the way to her waist. A scar, barely visible under the high collar of the cloak, etched itself upon one side of her neck.

"Who are you?" I hope my voice came out strong, because whoever this stranger is, she's NOT good news.

The luminous golden eyes focused on my own, and I willed myself not to look away.

"It does not matter who I am," she whispered flatly, "For I've come to warn you of the perils ahead."

I noticed uneasily that the girl seems to be surrounded by shifting shadows that snaked all around her like kissing vines.

"I don't have much time," she continued, glancing nervously at the clock," But know this; a fearsome power will be unleashed from where it had dwelled for millenniums, and once it has been awakened from its slumber, the cursed one will began to devour the souls of humans and demi-gods alike."

She stopped briefly, and met my suspicious gaze with an air of utter calmness.

"You may not believe me for now, but you will when the truth is upon you,"

The clock began to chime, echoing eerily.

Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

"How can you expect me to believe you when you won't even tell me who you are?" I asked icily as another thought entered my pounding mind.

If this is another prank by my immature half-brother and his buddies, I'm SO going to kill them.

The girl just shrugged mildly, and smiled a sad little smile.

"Farewell, it's good to walk amongst the living again, even for just this once," the sentence faded as she melted into oblivion.

I ran to where she had once been standing, poking around to see if there's some hidden contraption somewhere.

But to my dismay, there's not a single trace of evidence that the ghost had appeared at all.

**Sorry this is so short, but high school doesn't allow much time at all..... anyways, rate and review please!!!!! :P**


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